Oxygen therapy equipment



June 17, 1941. A. E. M KEE OXYGEN THERAPY EQUIPMENT Filed Dec. 14, 19382 Sheets-Sheet l June 17, 1941. E, MCKEE 2,245,696

OXYGEN THERAPY EQUIPMENT Filed Dec. 14, 1958 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 PatentedJune 17, 1941 warren STATES PATENT OFFICE OXYGEN 'rniirzfir noummsnr V lI Albert E. McKee, Chicago, 111., assignor to Oxygen Equipment, &Service Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation ofv Illinois ApplicationDecember 14, 1938,- Serial No. 245,582

LClairn.

My invention relates to oxygen therapy equip-- ment and particularly tohumidifiers for use therewith.

In the therapeutic administration of oxygen,

whether by means of an oxygen tent, nasal.

catheter or face mask, it is desirable to introduce moisture into theoxygen before it is delivered to the patient. It is desirable also thatthe space occupied by oxygen therapy equipment he reduced to a minimum,and it is particularly desirable that no breakage or breakdown ofequipment occur such as would involve even temporary shutting off of thesupply of oxygen. All

these factors appear to be obivous without ex- 'eificiency.

In oxygen therapy, it has been customary to employ conventionalhumidifying'equipment consisting of two glass jars, one servingas acontainer for water through which the oxygen is passed, and the otherservingas a trap for'removal of such water as may be entrained in theform of relatively large droplets or which may be condensed out becauseof temperature conditions before the oxygen is delivered to the patient.Those skilled in the art are thoroughly familiar with the disadvantagesand shortcomings of this conventional arrangement.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision ofimproved oxygen therapy equipment.

Another object is the provision of an improved humidifier particularlyadapted for use with oxygen therapy equipment.

A further object is the provision of a humidifier of the generalcharacter and for the purpose described which will avoid the objectionsheretofore lodged against conventional equipment.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from aconsideration of the following detailed description taken with theaccompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational viewshowing the improved equipment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the humidifier container such as appears bytaking a section along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional View taken on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 isa transverse sectional view taken on the line 4'-'-l of Fig. 3looking upwardly in the direction of the arrows. v

Referring now first to 1, I show an oxygen tank It with the conventionalvalve structure U usually furnished therewith. An automatic flowregulator is provided comprising a regulator proper l2 with adjustinghandle I3, gage M for indicating the pressure of the oxygen in the tankIt, and a flow meter or gage It showing the num-' ber of liters ofoxygen delivered per unit of time. This automatic fiow regulatorequipment is a frame structure provided with passageways leading to thevarious parts thereof whereby the entire apparatus may be mounteddirectly to the valve structure I asa support. Depending from theautomatic fiow regulator mechanism is a humidifier indicated generallyby the reference character IT, to the outlet of which is shown aflexible tube such as a rubber hose l8 carrying atits outer or deliveryend a nasal catheter |9-. The use of a nasal catheter is illustrative,as other means of administration may beemployed with-- out departingfrom the spirit and scope of my invention.

Referring now to Figs. 2 to 4, inclusive, and particularly to Fig. 3,the humidifier structure comprises an outer container having a tubularside wall 2|, top 22 and bottom 23. The top 22 and bottom 23 are flangedto provide for attachment to the tubular side wall 2| for the purpose offorming a substantially unitary structure. An annular flange 24 isprovided at the bottom of the top wall 22 and at this point a tubularbaffle member 26 is. secured in position. The baille member 26 as shownterminates short of the bottom 23 and is spaced from the tubular wall 2|to form an annular space 21 which, in the manner and as describedhereinbelow, functions as a trap. A cap 28 is threaded in the top wall22 and is provided with suitable gasket means 29 to seal it in place. Apassageway is provided through the cap 28 at one side of which an inletconnection 3| communicates and at the bottom end of which a tube 32communicates,- the tube 32 being threaded in a central threaded openingin the cap. At the bottom of the tube 32 I provide a diffusion head,here shown as a metal washer 33 suitably held in position, and a cap 34between which felt or similar washers 36 are provided. The bottom of thetube 32 is ported to permit oxygen delivered under pressure to the tube32 to come in contact with the inside edges of the felt washers 36 anddiffuse through them into contact with water 31 occupying the lowerportion of the container.

An outlet port or opening 38 is provided in the baflle 26 near the topthereof, and at 180 degrees from the port or opening 38 an outletpassageway 39 is provided. This passageway 39 communicates with theannular space 31 comprising the trap, being formed through the top wall22 at a boss 4| equipped in the manner shown for attachment of an outletconnection 42.

Thus it will be seen that when oxygen is de livered to the containerthrough the pipe 32, it difiuses out through the diffusion head andrises up partly in the form of a spray, at least carrying a relativelylarge amount of water with it mechanically. Humidified oxygen in whichsome water remains mechanically entrained passes through the opening 38,around the baffle 26 where the entrained water is permitted to drop outof suspension, and thence to the passageway 39 for delivery to thepatient. The general movement of the oxygen is illustrated by the arrowsin the drawings.

The container described is preferably formed of metal, or anynon-breakable or non-friable material. Such materials are predominantlynontransparent, and to provide for ready determination of the amount ofwater in the humidifier I provide a sight gage 42 supported in thegeneral manner shown between brackets 43 and 44 having passagewayscommunicating with the! ends of the sight glass 42 and the interior ofthe container. A filling cock 43 is provided threaded into the bracket43 and provided with a handle 41, a usual simple type of valve structureand a filling opening 48. By opening the valve associated with thehandle 41, Water may be introduced at 48 to the level desired as shownby the sight glass. The handle'is then turned to the closed position andthe device may continue to be operated in the usual way.

The functions and advantages of my invention should in general be clear,as well also as the manner in which it is used. In general, it may besaid that except for introducing additional water approximately onceevery twenty-four hours the device requires no attention and Willcontinue to operate without failure substantially indefinitely. Only asingle container is provided which is readily and simply mounted, in themanner shown in Fig. 1, and there is no possibility of breakage or anyof the other accidents which occur with the equipment of the prior art.

I have described a specific form of my invention for the completeunderstanding of those skilled in the art, but the invention is limitedonly by the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

A portable oxygen humidifier, adapted to be attached to an oxygen tank,for use in oxygen therapy, comprising an outer cylindrical containeradapted to hold a body of water, said container being provided with topand bottom closure portions, an inner cylindrical sectionconcentrically, arranged with respect to said outer container and spacedtherefrom to provide an unimpeded annular passageway, the top edge ofsaid inner cylindrical section coacting with the top closure portion toform a tight seal therewith, the bottom of said inner cylindricalsection being open and terminating close to the bottom closure portion,said inner cylindrical section having a small opening near the topthereof communicating with said annular passageway, a verticallydisposed oxygen inlet pipe within said inner cylindrical section and inconcentric relation thereto, said pipe terminating near the bottom ofsaid inner cylindrical section, an oxygen difiusion head attached to thebottom of said pipe whereby to subdivide the oxygen passing therethroughinto a plurality of fine streams, and a discharge passageway on the topclosure portion and spaced approximately degrees from the opening nearthe top of the inner cylindrical section, whereby the oxygen forcedthrough said inlet pipe is humidified solely by passing through the bodyof water disposed within the container and the re-' sulting humidifiedoxygen then passes into and around said annular passageway whereinmechanicallyentrained water drops out of the oxygen prior to thedischarge of the oxygen through the discharge passageway.

ALBERT McKEE.

